DEC H-500 Computer Lab Reproduction

My cousin, Michael Gardi, has been busy since retiring, producing reproductions of educational computing devices from the 1960s. I've previously posted here (and here) about some of his projects. 

He has just completed a new one – a reproduction of the DEC H-500 Computer Lab. 

Many people reading this will be familiar with the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) lines of PDP machines. I would guess though that far fewer have encountered the H-500 Computer Lab. Launched in the late 60's the H-500 was part of a COMPUTER LAB curriculum to introduce students and engineers to digital electronics. It's not surprising that DEC would undertake this since more than half of it's PDP machines at the time were installed in educational institutions.

The machine itself shipped with a wonderful workbook that contained a complete course in digital electronics. Together the COMPUTER LAB package was intended to accompany courses in binary arithmetic, Boolean algebra, digital logic or computer technology. While not a true computer, the H-500 could be "wired" to perform many of the underlying operations of a true computer using a point-to-point patch cord mechanism.

 

Building this is not for the fainthearted; you'll need access to a 3D printer and some basic carpentry and electronic skill. (Mike is far beyond me in both those areas). It would be a wonderful project for a high school computing class. 

There's also an article about it on Hackaday.